Want to Live Longer? Get Some Friends

Exercise and quitting smoking are thought to be important
steps for a long, healthy life, but a new study suggests another potential tip
for extending lifespan: make some friends.

The results show people with strong social relationships increased
their odds of survival over a certain time period by 50 percent, the
researchers say. That's on par with ceasing smoking,
and nearly twice as beneficial as physical
activity in terms of decreasing your odds of
dying early.

"I think we make a compelling case that social relationships
should also be taken quite seriously in terms of reducing risk of mortality,"
said study researcher Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a psychologist at Brigham Young
University in Utah.

Assessing social
networks

The researchers reviewed 148 studies that examined the link
between social relationships and mortality. The studies involved more than
308,000 participants in total, and subjects were followed for an average of 7.5
years.

The studies measured social relationships in a number of
ways. Some simply looked at the size of a person's social network or whether or
not they were married or lived alone. Others assessed peoples' perceptions
about their relationships, such as whether or not they felt
others were there for them. And still others looked at how integrated
people were in their social networks or communities.

Overall, high scores on measures indicative of strong social
relationships were associated with increased odds of survival. The results held
regardless of the person's age, gender, health status and cause of death.

In general, studies that took into account more than one
aspect of a person's relationship (for instance, social network size and how
integrated a person is with that network) were better predictors of mortality
than those that only assessed one measure (such as whether someone lives
alone).

Why are friends
beneficial?

Our relationships can influence our health in a variety of
ways, Holt-Lunstad said. For instance, they can help us deal with stress – a deadly
pastime.

"As we encounter potentially stressful events in our
lives, if we know that we've got people we can count on or that we can turn to,
we may be less likely to even perceive it as stressful, because we know we can
handle it," Holt-Lunstad said. "But also, let's say we're already in
the throes of some kind of stressful event, our relationships can also help us
cope with it and buffer that reaction to the stress."

Our friendships can also encourage healthy behaviors
(and unhealthy ones) that have a direct impact on well-being. For example, our
friends might encourage us to eat better, exercise, get more sleep or visit the
doctor, Holt-Lunstad said.

Social relationships also provide meaning to our lives and
might influence us to take better care of ourselves or take fewer risks, she
said.

The work suggests such relationships are important from a
public health perspective, and medical care professionals might consider
recommending or promoting better social connections, the researchers say.
Hospital and clinic staff might also try to involve their patients in social
support networks during recovery, they say.

Rachael Rettner

Rachael has been with Live Science since 2010. She has a masters degree in journalism from New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in molecular biology and a Master of Science in biology from the University of California, San Diego.